Something a little different today, installing 1000m of water pipe to a new water/drinking trough on the Pewsey Downs.
Good job done using the Valtra 253 with mole plough.
Category: Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG)
The ultimate in upcycling
The ultimate in upcycling: during WW2, 28000 concrete Pill Boxes were built to defend the arteries of England against a possible invasion. The Pill Boxes are all made of concrete. In this project, we converted an initial four of them for use by bats ! These were all undertaken within the Pewsey Vale alongside the Kennet & Avon Canal, as part of a Crown Estate Funded Project.
We blocked up all but one viewing point, creating a lockable door fitting, perches and bat boxes to the inside.
See this link to The Historic England Blog for more information.
3000m Fencing to protect newly planted hedging
Here, our task was to erect fencing to protect newly planted native-mix hedging on the edge of Salisbury Plain.
We used a single strand of electric fence with 2 x barbed wire to stop the cattle from eating the new plants!
Planting of 9000 new trees and shrubs
Planting of 9000 new trees and shrubs as part of a screening project on the edge of the Cotswolds.
Total number of trees/saplings planted: 6408
Shrub species for the field edges: Hazel, Holly, Viburnum, Blackthorn, Field Maple, Hawthorn.
Tree species for the middle sections: Alder, Pine, Oak, Poplar, Hazel, Willow, Holly.
Putting something back!
Remote-controlled, tracked RoboFlail clearing big bramble near Bath
Charlie and the RoboFlail clearing big bramble near Bath as part of a BNG program to plant 60 fruit trees
I hope the winch won’t be needed!
See more details of our work with
Complete tree management for the next generation
It’s all about the preparation – in the foot of Roundway Hill near Devizes
Before the planting, we sowed a legume mix back in September, then the lines were marked out with GPS then sprayed out to create a suitable planting area. Deer fence next on the to do job list
Complete tree management for the next generation
19th November 2025
Biodiversity Net Gain – installing rabbit fencing
Installing rabbit fencing to protect a young hedge near Ramsbury
This bank does not look steep in the pictures, but Alex and Tristan will tell you otherwise!
We used our Protech Evo3* for this project, given the steep ground. Our Evo Compact would not have been sufficiently stable and could have tipped over.
The rabbit netting is erected with a turnout at ground level and then pegged to the ground to stop the rabbits from burrowing underneath. In all, it was approx. 600m on very hard ground.
* The Evo 3 is the largest in the Protech range, with a machine weight of 6.5 tons and needs to be delivered on a low loader. But even though a larger machine, it gives a lighter footprint than the Compact, with a ground pressure of 2.27PSI. It has a 500kg hammer weight. Each track itself is 500mm wide, and the tracks can be fully extended to 3.3m, giving greater stability on steep ground”.
Check our our BNG Services here
Beech timber off for logs
Beech timber off for logs
A few hundred tons of soft and hardwood timber on the move, having been waiting onsite to be moved from a tree removal project earlier in the year. It’s not quite a full load, but the site is now clear and tidy.
PS: The timber lorry left fully loaded!
Wick Farm Solar Park – 13000m of deer netting R13/192/15
We were part of a case study by Tornado Wire
Efficient Fencing Installation with Tornado Products!
Conservation Contractors in Wiltshire recently completed a project at Wick Farm Solar Park installing 13000m of deer netting, using a Solonet wire unroller on a 14-ton excavator, which allowed them to install up to 2000 meters of fencing per day!
Project Overview
For this fencing project, a Solonet wire unroller was fitted to a 14-ton excavator, enabling Tristan and Toby to efficiently roll out, tension, and tie off up to 2000 meters of fencing per day. This setup significantly enhanced the speed and efficiency of the installation process.
Fencing Specifications
Wire and Gates: Tornado wire 450m rolls of R13/192/15 and Tornado Full 12ft meshed deer gates were selected for their strength and effectiveness in excluding deer.
Materials Used: The project utilised creosote-treated timber and strainer posts
Customer and Contractor Feedback
From the initial contact to the completion of the project, the customer found dealing with Tornado to be straightforward and easy.
Key highlights include:
Ease of Ordering: The process of ordering and agreeing to make larger rolls of netting was smooth and hassle-free.
Lead Times: Despite the large volume of wire and gates required, lead times were shorter than expected.
Product Quality: The quality of the product was consistently high from one end of the roll to the other, ensuring a reliable and effective fencing solution.
Conclusion
This case study demonstrates the efficiency and reliability of Tornado products in a large-scale fencing installation. The combination of high-quality materials, efficient equipment, and excellent customer service resulted in a successful project that met and exceeded expectations.
William Warden – Director Conservation Contractors Ltd
www.conservation-contractors.co.uk
Tristan and Toby getting there with the Solar Farm project
Some dry weather has made all the difference for everyone, and we are now nearing completion. A Job well done by everyone
Timber by Batsford, Warminster, Wiltshire https://www.batsfordtimber.co.uk/index.php?route=common/home
Wire and gates by Tornado Wire, Bidford-on-Avon https://www.tornadowire.com/
Tracks by E D & W Bodman, Melksham, Wiltshire https://www.edwbodman.co.uk/
In our earlier posts, we touched on the timber and wiring aspects of the project. As groundworks contractors, Bodmans have to strip the topsoil, lay a membrane and then supply and level a layer of clean stone. This is then topped off with a final smaller stone and compacted, leaving a camber to avoid any water settling on the surface.
28 March 2025
